Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy

Subject: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Chris/Darwin
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 04:03 AM

On the recommendation of Catters I purchased Eva's "Songbird" album. I am captivated by the whole album, but in particular I cannot get "Autumn Leaves" out of my head. It haunts me day and night.

I did a net search for the chords, but with the exception of a guitar site, which had a different arrangement, I have been at a loss.

Has anyone worked out the chords as Eva played it? Some of them sound a bit like "Seventh flatted fifth" chords, but it is hard to say.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Lanfranc
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 07:22 AM

I'm not familiar with the Eva Cassidy album, tho' I will take your recommendation and give it a whirl, but I assume that the song in question is the one by Prevost with English lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

I have played that song for more years than I care to count, using the chords as per the original 1950s sheet music, which I will dig out and transcribe for you unless someone gets there first with the Cassidy version.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Chris/Darwin
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 08:31 AM

Yep, it is the Joseph Kozma/Jacques Prevert song with English lyrics by Johnny Mercer. I have heard the song recorded by lots of other people, and while a good song, never jumped out at me like Eva's version does.

I guess the original sheet music can't be that far out, so I would love to look at it.

Thanks
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: GUEST,bflat
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 11:14 AM

Chris, I can understand why her version popped out at you. She had an amazing voice. Any song she sang which I've heard is the version that first comes to me, so memorable was her voice and style. I hope someone does post the song and chords as done by her.

Ellen

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 11:18 AM

I presume you have the words, and just need chords?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Shall
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 01:01 PM

Fields of Gold sung by Eva Cassidy blew me away.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:41 PM

Shall, I agree; Fields of Gold is wonderful. I have the CD, but her treatment ot the song is so unusual that I imagine the chords are not the same as a standard arrangement.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: GUEST,Willa
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:54 PM

Chris/Darwin
I have the original music in front of me (1947), but I don't think Eva's version is the same I'm not sure how to put the chords on here. Is this any use?
Am7 D7 G Am6 B7 Em Am7 D7 G Am6 B7 Em B7 Em D7 G B7-9 B7 Em A Am B7 Em

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Chris/Darwin
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 07:20 PM

Sorcha

Yes, I have the words, I just need the chords. Thanks Willa for the original, but I suspect Eva gave it a more jazz feel than the original.

Regards
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 07:30 PM

Chris, OK, cuz words are already posted in the forum. Didn't want to do that unless you needed them. Good luck with the weirds chords.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Justa Picker
Date: 17 Feb 01 - 09:29 PM

If you want to have a little fun with this tune, here are two versions of it.

Keep in mind that I found these links from jazz-oriented web sites, as Autumn Leaves is considered a jazz standard. Both of these links require a bit of knowledge concerning theory, and if you have the ability to read notation then you can follow the melody line through the chord changes in the first link. The second link is a bit theory intensive.

The first link here is a scan of how the tune appears in "The Real Book" otherwise known as one of the primary "fake" books for jazz musicians.

If you need any help deciphering the semantics used for the chord changes, understand that a hyphen after the chord name mean MINOR...so "E-" is another way of writing E minor. If the symbol denotes "maj 7" this means major 7th as in "G maj 7. If a chord symbolizes "b5 or b9" it means "flat 5" or "flat 9" so if a chord appears as F#-7b5 (it means F sharp minor 7th flat five).
The second link here provides alternate changes (or chord substitions) to play around the melody.


- more than you bargained for, right?!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Lanfranc
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 09:09 PM

Thanks, justapicker, you first clicky led to the chorus with the chords pretty much as I always play it, but what of the verse? Does Cassidy sing the verse? If not, it's pretty damn short - I sing the verse and chorus in English, then again in French to make it a reasonable length.

Still can't find my copy of the dots, tho' - wonder who I lent it to?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: Chris/Darwin
Date: 19 Feb 01 - 05:14 AM

Thanks Justapicker, you have explained something I couldn't figure about about the chords in the Real Book.

This will keep me going for a while!

Regards
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy
From: GUEST,Willa
Date: 02 Mar 01 - 02:53 PM

Lanfranc I have the sheet music with French /English lyrics; they don't match, of course, but complement one another beautifully. I'd never heard the verse sung.